Soil Conservation Planning at Small Watershed Level Using GIS-Based Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)

Through data obtained from remote sensing and field surveys, the geographic information system(GIS) was used to develop conservation-oriented watershed management strategies on Wangjiaqiao Watershed. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) combined with IDRISI GIS software was applied to evaluate agricultural management strategies in terms of soil loss at the watershed. GIS allowed for easy assessment of the relative erosion hazard over the watershed under different land management options. The presented RUSLE-GIS model provides a robust soil conservation-planning tool readily transferable and accessible to other land managements.